Endless Wonder
by EmelineCarter92
Summary: Picks up after the ending. Hatter came to find Alice. But what did he really come for? Hatter has a mysterious tragic past. Dodo is out to seek revenge and Wonderland is threatend. The fate of wonderland might only rely on a Chershire who can lead them to the White Queen. Characters belong to Lewis Carol and to Syfy.
1. The Wanderlanders

"Hatter!" Alice couldn't believe her eyes. All that time in the hospital since she had woken up, she had thought Wonderland had been all a dream, that none of it had happened. And then she remembered what he said to her. "Oysters" didn't want to believe so they told themselves wonderland existed. She threw her arms around Hatter; her emotions boiling inside her she could barely contain them. She was overjoyed that he that he did exist and he hadn't been a figment of her imagination.

Her excitement probably matched even with Hatter's.

"Finally." He said as he returned the embrace. And then they kissed.

She pulled away from his and looked into his eyes for what seemed like the longest time. She could stare into those endless chocolate brown depths forever. She looked up at his hair and had the urge to mess it up. He didn't look good with kept hair.

Carol started on, confused. "Alice, do you know David?"

"I'm…..one of Jack's mates." Hatter tried to explain.

"Uh….Ha….David. Why don't we go and get some Pizza like we talked about. I'll explain later." Alice said over her shoulder as she practically pushed Hatter out the door.

Alice couldn't take her eyes of him again, as he took his first bite of Pizza, his reaction.

"It's like….I can't explain it." He leaned back in the vinyl booth, crossing his arms and legs. Despite his joyful mood Alice could tell there was something he was hiding from her. She knew Hatter all too well. But that hair was driving her crazy.

As if he read her mind, he uncrossed his arms and legs, and said, "Ah, let me do it." He ran his fingers through his hair, making stick out in all directions. "It was buggin the hell out of me."

Alice laughed as he leaned back against the seat again. Her smile vanished once something was still not right. She got an unsettling feeling. And suddenly it hit her. She knew what it was. There it was the silence again. Hatter was never silent unless there was some sort of threat or danger in their wake.

He went to take a bite of pizza but he noticed Alice was eyeing him carefully, concern on her face. He dropped the slice back on the plate and shoved his plate away.

"Hatter…." Before she could get the words out, ask him, what was going on, he answered.

"You have to come back." Hatter said. He always known there would be a sacrifice, that they couldn't live in peace without paying a price. Two weeks had passed in wonderland and it was already in danger again. Dodo and the resistance were attacking what was left of the Hart's Kingdom.

"Where?" Alice knew where he meant.

"Wonderland." He said. His tone had some confusion in it.

Alice stood up, her chair scraping. "I can't go back."

"Two weeks Alice, two weeks pasted and Wonderland is already being threatened."

"You didn't follow right after me then. I should have known you wouldn't." She grabbed her coat and she headed for the door.

"Alice, wait." He followed her out.

They left the restaurant through the back door that led into the alley. It was raining, heavily. They were immediately drenched.

"You didn't have to lie to me." She shouted. Hatter backed up. She suddenly stopped. "That's the reason you came back for me?"

"What? No." How could she think that?

Did he even really love her? "Do you even…" She chocked on her words. "Care about me?" After all that they've been through.

"Course I do….right now wonderland needs help."

"Why did you wait two weeks to find me again?" Alice asked him, but like all men he avoided answering.

"If you don't want to go I won't make you." He told her. He didn't want to make her. "But let me tell you something, if we don't put an end to this, they're going to keep coming after us. We're going to be running the rest of your lives from them, if we're going to have a future together."

"That's the price of love isn't it? Whatever we do, we're in this together." Alice looked at him sadly. It might have been weeks for him but it had only been a few days for her. She wasn't ready. "But I'm not ready to go back."

Hatter nodded. A part of him wanted to go back. To him Alice's world wasn't as colorful; it was sort of dull and grey, almost colorless. His home was wonderland. It was the home he only knew. His heart was tied to it and now tied to this girl. He was torn between two worlds and a girl. He never imagined him in this situation. He'd always imagined living out the rest of his days in his tea shop…alone. No one should be alone. He couldn't shake wonderland away from his mind, it was like he had one foot in wonderland and one foot in this place. If they wanted to be happy they needed to get involved weather they liked it or not. It was their future at stake, but whatever Alice's decision he decided that all he wanted to be was with her. Sacrifices would have to be made. He'd have to give up wonderland for her.

Afterward they went back to Alice's place. If Alice was going to have a future with Hatter, she had to tell her mother the truth, well half of it. At least let her get to know Hatter, so their future meetings wouldn't be awkward.

They all sat at the kitchen table. Coral offered them tea.

"No tea for me, thanks." Hatter said. He had had enough tea in wonderland to last a lifetime.

"How long have you been in the States, have any family back home?" Carol asked

"Mom." Alice tired to warn her, to keep her from bombarding Hatter with questions.

"My parents are dead." Hatter said bleakly but as quickly brushed it off. Alice sensed a lot of pain there.

Alice herself was shocked. She never heard of Hatter's family whilst she had been in wonderland nor had he spoken of them. Then again they didn't really have the time to.

"They died fif…..five years ago." Fifty years ago, he had barely been out of his teens then. He was nearing two hundred, middle aged. People aged slower in wonderland. People in wonderland could live forever, avoiding accidents. He didn't know how aging worked in Alice's world, or how old he would be here.

"Any siblings, brothers or sisters?"

"I had….a brother, gone now just me."

"I'm so sorry." Carol said sympathetically. "I didn't mean to pry….."

"You were just protecting your daughter." Hatter finished.

Carol was surprised at the young man who seemed to have so much knowledge, wise beyond his years.

Hatter continued, "I do 'ave an Uncle though. He and I are on the outs but…."

"You should try to fix it." Carol said rather suddenly. "

"I don't think I can. There's too much of a dent in that relationship." It was a really big dent. His own Uncle wanted him dead.

"Sorry, if I'm prying again."

"No, it's ok." A second or two passed and Hatter got up, deciding it was time for him to leave. "I think I should be going."

Alice followed him to the door. She really didn't want him wondering off alone if there happened to be suits out looking for him. There was an exchange between them on where he was staying.

"He can stay here mom can't he? He'll sleep on the couch of course."

"I don't want to be an inconvenience to you." Hatter said.

"No, not at all." Carol protested. He wouldn't be a problem at all. Mother's intuition told her he had been through a lot like Alice had.

As it turned out neither Hatter nor Alice could sleep. She wondered into the living room a little past midnight. She sat down on the end of the couch. He laid there thinking, taking in her features.

"How old are you Alice?" He asked her. He had been pondering this for quite some time.

"That's not a polite thing to ask."

"We've known each other long enough."

"Thirty-One." Alice said. "How old are you Hatter?"

"That's a rather personal question."

"You asked first. How old are you?"

"I don't know." He honesly didn't know how old he was here.

"You don't know?"

"Aging is different in wonderland."

"Well I guess we're going to take a shot in the dark then and take a guess." She looked him over. "You look about my age, a few years older maybe? I'm guessing thirty-three."

"You're making me older than you?" He paused. "Then again I am way older than you."

"You said you didn't know you're age."

"Can you just…." His voice went all squeaky again. It got that way when he tried to wriggle out of something and couldn't find a way. "Drop it Alice?"

"You brought it up."

"Since when is age an issue?" Hatter implored, trying to avoid the subject. He regretted bringing it up. He admitted to himself that he was hiding from her, hiding his past. He didn't want to feel the pain of the memories of his family. What would it be like when she asked him about his past?

"Oh, don't pull that card. I'm going to ask one more time if you don't answer me so help me….." Alice didn't get scared. But she found herself starting to. She was afraid that he wasn't going to let her in. If he didn't let her in he could run away. Did he not like her and was just using her to help with wonderland? She wondered what his true attentions were._That's ridiculous._Alice scolded herslef. W_ho was the one that stuck by me in wonderland through the good and all the bad times. _He had done everything to keep her safe. She wanted to trust him. But how could you trust someone you hardly knew at all. A person you thought you knew?

He held up a hand. "Shh, let me think." He paused for a second. "I was a teenager when the original Alice brought down the house of cards."

"So you're saying…" She tried to calculate the information he had given.

"I'm middle aged."

"You're middle a…." He put his hand over her mouth before she could finish the end of her sentence. He removed his hand, once she was calm. She brought down her voice, "You're middle aged?"

"Two hundred." There was a slight pause before he added, "almost, almost middle aged."

"Wow." Alice exclaimed. She hadn't been expecting that. If her mother found out she would flip. She had no intention on telling her. She wouldn't believe her anyway, yet alone Hatter was middle aged."That's one hell of an age gap."

"mmm hmm." Hatter all but beamed.

"How does that work? Here do you age like a normal person?"

"I suppose so, nobody knows. Wonderland slows down oyster's aging so I think it should be the reverse here."

People in wonderland were children until they reached a hundred and thirty years or so and they weren't adults till a hundred and fifty, middle age didn't come until you were about two hundred. Hatter was reaching that point. He was a hundred and ninety. Fifty years ago his parents had died. His father had gone mad, like his brother March had. After their father's death, he and his mother lived with their Uncle and started planning a resistance against the queen. Shortly after his mother became ill and died after food had been scarce plus she had been dependant on emotions, which she refused to take.

Hatter's Uncle allowed him to stay, but he had to get his own job at the tea shop. One day he started staying there all day. It would one day become his home, him only home. He felt abandoned and shunned by the only family member, well sane family member he had left. He was no longer welcome unless it had to do with the resistance. Why had his Uncle thrown him out, looked at him with so much hatred?

They bot did their best to get back to sleep. Alice walked back to her bedroom. Just when she had finally fell asleep she was awoken by the sound of the front door opening.

* * *

A sound distracted him. He stopped in the middle of the alley. He looked toward the sound a garbage can lid had fallen off, or not

"No, Hatter." He said to himself. "Don't get involved with things. You're supposed to be enjoying your time with Alice."

He looked at the end of the alley way. Two suits were at the end. He looked to his left. Sure enough there were more suits. Not now. Hatter thought. Leading them was none other than Dodo.

"Hello again Hatter."

Hatter threw back his right fist to punch the bigger older man but he grabbed his arm and pushed it back. No one should be able to grab his sledgehammer like that. It must had something to do with not being in wonderland. His good swing was useless here. His arm was forced behind his back. He spun around and kicked Dodo in an uncomfortable spot. Alice had taught him that move. (The spin and kick.)

"Grab him." Dodo ordered the suits, still slightly in pain.

Hatter tried fighting off the suits. He decked one of them but the other grabbed him. Before he knew it was shoved against the wall. The suit that shoved him, punched him in the gut, hard. Hatter fell to the ground winded.

The two other suits grabbed Hatter under the arms. Dodo walked over to Hatter. "I told you I would have the resistance hunt you down. I kept my word. The Queen falls and you are nowhere to be found, and here you are taking the cowards' way out. How do you think that's going to affect your reputation?" He was mocking him. He had trusted Dodo. He had found out the hard way when Alice was in his world. He could trust no one from wonderland. Hatter had been a slefish person until he met Alice. He wasn't that person anymore.

Hatter spat in his face. Dodo backhanded him.

* * *

Alice had been following Hatter. Where would he be going at two a.m.? She saw two suits fighting with Hatter.

"Hatter." She tried to run toward him.

"Alice, don't follow." Hatter called to her.

The suits dragged him off. And of course Alice followed.


	2. Alice Behind the Looking Glass

She stopped at the end of the alley. A man in a suit blocked her way. He didn't have blond hair like he had when he last saw him. Standing in front of her was none other than Jack Heart. "Jack, what are you doing here?"

"They came here after you." He said pointedly. "After Hatter to be more pacific."

"What would they want with Hatter?" Alice asked.

"I doubt it has to do with you." He had seen Hatter go after Alice, he had snuck through the looking glass. That was crime in wander land. Jack wasn't actually in full power there was nothing in his power he could do. Dodo and the rest of the resistance were fighting for power over Wonderland. Caterpillar was believed to be dead, Jack's mother was nowhere to be found. In other words Wonderland was basically in ruins. The best way to restore it was find the White Queen, if she still existed. Their only chance at finding her remained with Alice. He had missed her. He still cared for her. Things weren't going well with his Duchess, Grace. They did have a great relationship. It was the state of which their home was in, worrying about how to save it. They never had time for each other. He could have time for Alice.

"Who's they?" She couldn't leave Hatter behind. They'd probably send him to the twin Doctors, and judging what they did to him last time they could do a lot worse.

"The Queen." Jack said.

Alice didn't believe it. Was he trying to trick her to come back with him? But she had to help Hatter, get him back and leave wonderland behind for good. But Wonderland still seemed the world to Hatter, like he couldn't yet give it up. What would the Queen want with Hatter? "We de-thorned the Queen."

"She hasn't regained complete power. Dodo's got the resistance after her so she'd be laying low after her."

"Dodo." He was the one that went after Hatter. "He threatned to have the resistance after Hatter, to have him killed."

"There's only one way we can help him." Jack said. He knew he was lying to Alice but he had to get her to come back.

Alice nodded, accepting what she could no longer try to avoid. "I have to go back."

She followed him through the rabbit hole. He grabbed her hand, before she could refuse they were already on the other side. They were on the other side of the looking glass.

"We'll go to my estate first, we'll be safer there." Jack said. Alice had not argument to that, as long as they were safe. But soon they had to find Hatter. Dodo wanted him dead.

They got to Jack's estate, which was more comfortable feeling than the Queen's castle. Jack went off the contact the other members of the resistance, that didn't want Hatter dead. It was mostly Dodo. Alice had to wait till he came back. The Duchess introduced herself. There was no need. Alice already knew who she was.

"You two married then?" Alice asked. "Duchess.'

"Yes, we are married." She kept on walking. "And please you can call me Grace."

Alice was appalled at how the Duchess was treating her. At first when she had met the Duchess Alice thought her as nearly as unpleasant as the Queen but "Grace" was suddenly treating her like they were friends. She couldn't remain mad at the Duchess. It was Jack that didn't mention that he had been engaged. "Grace Heart does sound nice." Alice's eyes were wondering where ever else around the room.

Even though they were from two different worlds Grace understood what she was going through. "Don't worry we'll to anything we can to get your Hatter back."

Alice stopped and smirked, "That's funny because Jack said he couldn't stop Dodo because Hatter committed treason."

"Laws can be changed." She looked at the Oyster that was filled with doubt. "And some laws were meant to be broken."

Who was she and what did she do with the Duchess? Alice thought to herself.

* * *

Two suits were carrying Hatter by the arms. He tried to stop them by dragging his feet, trying to create a dead wait. He knew where they were taking him. They were taking him to the Tea room. It was where Dodo stored all the banned emotions, and now the ones he had recovered. The room they entered was like a small lounge, furnished with two couches, a glass bookcase, lined with bottles covered the walls.

"This place looks in order for redecoration." Hatter said, jokingly.

Annoyed Dodo said to the suits, "Release him."

The suits let go of Hatter and one pushed him and he fell backwards onto the couch.

"Oi, no need to get rough." Hatter sat up and straightened the lapel of his jacket. Dodo sat down on the couch across from him. In front of them was a coffee table, shot glasses and vials of emotions lay on top of it.

Hatter instantly knew what his game was. Did Dodo think it easier to take him out this way? Had he been bluffing about the resistance? The best thing to do was to play along and find out. Working in the tea shop had given him some advantage of telling which teas were which, all he had to do was be careful he didn't mix the wrong ones. If you were to overdose on emotions mean certain death but if you mixed the wrong ones it meant certain madness. The very madness that had cursed his family. He was determined to stay the sane one. He'd seen what these emotions did to people. Many of them had been taken out of his tea shop, ranting, drooling messes on the floor. He hoped he would be dead before that happened to him. But what about Alice? He couldn't go mad or die. He had to be there for Alice. By any chance she would have followed him even though he told her not to. Where ever she was he hoped she was with Jack. She'd be safe with Jack. A part of him didn't believe that.

* * *

Alice entered the Duchess's kitchen, there was a footman, who Alice thought resembled a frog, and a cook.

"It might be best if you duck." The Duchess said.

"Wh..."

The cook started throwing pots and utensils over his shoulder carelessly. muttering to himself. He sneezed and started reciting a poem,

"Speak roughly to your little boy  
and beat him when he sneezes  
he only does it to annoy  
because he knows it teases.  
I speak severely to my boy  
I beat him when he sneezes  
for he can thoroughly enjoy  
the pepper when he pleases"

Was everyone in wonderland mad?

"He's been in the pepper pot too much lately." The Duchess walked through the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, Alice saw something glittering. She looked toward the window. Sitting on the windowsill was a cat, with blue fur and black stripes. It appeared to be grinning at her, a mouth full on glinting white teeth.

She only got a quick glance at it. When she looked back it was gone. Shaking her head, she made her way through the kitchen, after the Duchess.


	3. Where It All Begins

In her world he went by David, because that was his name. His nickname was Hatter, a title passed down. People in wonderland didn't have last names. They only went by the names of their occupations or prefer nicknames. The Queen was an exception. Hatter's Grandfather had been a Hatter, he helped the first Alice bring down the house of cards. Madigan was his name and he went by Mad Hatter, and he was most certainly mad.

Was that Dodo's plan to make him mad? What would be the point in that. Hatter reached for another shot glass, bitting back the emotions that tried to overtake him. He learned the tricks of the trade and learned to mentally counteract the emotions, but even for an expert tea dealer it was a slowly losing battle.

Dodo didn't want to do this but he had no choice. At first when he said he would have the resistance hunt him down and kill him, that was an empty threat. He knew well of the Queen's plans to regain power.

He could not have the Queen get her hands on Hatter. Hatter knew the secrets of wonderland and he did not know it. Secrets that could only be awoken by madness. Hatter's father had told him stories as a child, tales that made no sense, but if they could crack it Wonderland would be destroyed forever.

The best possible way, the most un-cruelest way to kill Hatter was to have him over dose on emotions, a simple death. If that didn't work he would go mad and Dodo would have no choice but to kill him, himself. Part of him cared for this boy but another part of him despised Dodo because of Hatter's heritage. He reminded him so much of David, Hatter's father. They both had the same name, the very Oyster name.

Dodo got up and left the room, ordering the suits to guard the door.

Hatter did not dare leave the room. The last emotion he had drank was fear. He had no way of escape, (and the doubt was still lingering.) If he so much as tried he'd be shot on the spot.

Dodo returned with a regular tray of tea. "Would you like a cup of tea, David." He seemed to drawl out the name as if it were poison.

Hatter hesitated before taking a cup. And then thought, he'd never see his Alice again anyway. _No stop, you have to think about Alice. _Part of his un-fogged brain affected from theemotions teas, shouted at him.

The emotions were starting to have an effect on Hatter. He began to feel drowsy. Fighting the unwanted thoughts. Alice, his Alice, she would never trust him again. He had come back because Wonderland was in trouble. But what had be been thinking, starting a life with her in her world. It would never work. Wanderlanders and Oysters couldn't have a family. He would probably just run out on her like Alice's father ran out on Coral. He didn't know much about Alice and she didn't know much about him. He hid from Alice.

She would never forgive him, if she knew about his past. He had to give up. He had to give up on Alice before he broke her heart.

Hatter drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Alice was feeling more like a prisoner. They were in the Duchess, "Grace" and Jack's room. The Duchess offered her to side down. And they talked, to get to know each other. Alice thought that Jack had purposly made her watch after her so he could go off who knows where.

The Duchess talked about random things. nothing important, not giving away what was happening to Wonderland and where Jack was.

That confirmed Alice's supstion. They were keeping her in the dark.

She did tell Alice how she felt about Alice. When she met her she didn't mean the things she said. She had only felt threatened. She had realised that she cared for Jack. Alice understood. The Duchess did care about him and loved him and he did in return. But there was a tiny inkling that they were having marital problems but the Duchess didn't break it up.

"There will be a new heir to wonderland." Grace said.

"You're pregnant."

"No one can know. If they Queen knew..."

"You're secret's safe with me." Alice said.

"Don't tell Jack." The Duchess looked down at her stomach that was still slim, and putting her hand there. "He has to much on his mind." She suddenly got up and excused herself to go to the 'powder room, which Alice was pretty sure the bathroom.

She didn't ask herself if wanderlanders went to the bathroom. She was focused on one thing, finding Hatter. During the Duchess's leave Alice took the opertunity to escape. Alice tried the door but of course it was locked.

* * *

Something moved invisable outside, the Duchess's room door. The key, floating in the air. The invisable creature came into being. It was a blue haired cat with black stripes. It unlocked the door. Then it disappeared, first the tail, up to it's head, till only it's smile was left behind just for a second or two. And then that disappeared also.

* * *

Alice pushed the door again. Still it would not budge. Giving out a sound of frustration, she hit the door with her hand, letting out a exasperated sigh. She took a moment to collect herself, letting out a long breath, blowing her hair out of her eyes. She pushed on the door one more time...and it opened. Something small and metal clattered to the floor. She ignored it at first, looking down both ends of the hallway.

"Hello?" She called.

She got no anwser. Looking behind the door, she found the key. It might come in handy. When she picked it up it started to glow, seemingly getting hotter in her hand. "Ah." She dropped it. The glow from the key faded. Alice hesitated, deciding weather or not to pick it up. She reached her hand out but the key vanished.

* * *

_Two days ago _

Hatter wondered into the great hall, where the looking glass was. The ring had been taken out and hidden. It was still operational. He closed his eyes, thinking about the pros and cons. What he'd be giving up and what he'd be gaining.

He couldn't live here in wonderland. There was nothing for him here anymore. He couldn't go back to his tea shope. Where he'd first me her.

He had never met a livley Oyster that was very...lively. His first thought had been, "I can't believe I'm this close to an Oyster and she's awake."

Ratty, mentioning that the oyster's name was Alice had drawn him to her. Yet he did not know what to make of her. The two days he got to know her, and finaly gain her trust she made him feel something.

The oyster had made him feel...alive. Opened his eyes it wasn't all about him. With her he knew what it was like to live. But the stubborn part of the old Hatter that remained refused to go away. Stepping through to "other land" would seal his fate.

The other part of him didn't care. He'd walk through fire to get to her, even hell itself. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind focussing only on Alice. He forced himself to breath and stepped through the looking glass.

Unknowing that, Jack the King of Hearts had seen the whole thing. Jack didn't know there was someon else was watching. Dodo.


	4. As Mad as a Hatter

He tried opening his eyes but he could not open them. He could faintly feel hands on his dragging him. He drifted in and out of consciousness until blackness consumed him completely.

Hatter woke up from the dream he had was of him going back to Alice. Was he still dreaming? He still felt a little lucid, like he was drifting in and out of reality. He finally blinked his eyes open, his vision coming into focus. It took him a few seconds to figure out where he was. He was tied to a chair. Green light illuminated all around him. He was in the truth room. Desperately, hopelessly he tried to get out of his bonds. The rope cut into his wrists the more he struggled.

He saw an outline figure standing close by. He eye sight adjusted. Once it did, there was no mistaking the outline of the rabbit shaped cookie jar.

"Don't struggle." Came the electronic voice.

"Let me out." Hatter started to pull against the ropes.

He didn't care or notice that the ropes were cutting his wrists, scraping the skin, making them bleed.

"You know why you're here Hatter."

"If you want the directions to the Great Library you can forget it..." He was cut off by March's laughter. How was he able to laugh? Was he just an illusion created by the Doctor's?

"The Great Library, no." March looked at his brother. He had no feelings of compassion toward Hatter, toward anyone. It was how he was programmed. All the memories of his and Hatter's childhood were still there. "Do you know what you are, Hatter?"

"No, you don't need to tell me, spare me the quilt trip."

"He is such a funny man." Dee said, walking in behind Hatter.

"We'll see who's laughing after our little session." Dum chided with glee.

Quiet." March said to the brothers. "You were an experiment. A failed experiment, contained of knowledge. The only way to get it is to break you open, like an oyster. No pun intended of course."

"I killed you." Hatter said to March.

"Are you sure I'm really here?" March challenged him. "I was just damaged. Dodo had me restored, tried to reprogram me for his purposes, but my wiring short circuited. I hid in the gamma forests for days until I couldn't take it no more. I had to find her. My loyalty still lies with the Queen." He started walking around the chair. His brother, was a different thing. What had made him so rebellious? Hatter had been playing both sides of the card. Now he was against the Queen.

The Queen, all great and powerful.

He knew what it was, the oyster. The girl Alice.

They needed to take everything. Make Hatter completely, utterly mad. He'd let go of the Oyster for sure. But it would be a challenge to break him. Hatter was strong but that meant that it would be more fun to take him apart piece by piece.

March used to be sane as sane could be. Watching his strong, confident younger brother. Then, March made the decision to infiltrate the Queen's court, make her believe he was on her side. But the Queen eventually caught on and had him be headed, not because he was running late. The Queen had taken away reason, what little compassion he had left. "Have you ever heard the term, as Mad as a Hatter?" March asked. "Did you ever wander why Hatter, were it came from. Why all this madness in our family?"

"Father went mad in the end, when he found out what you've become."

"No." March said in that robotic voice of his.

"What?"

"I am not the reason father went mad." March stood there. he tilted his head. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"The real reason behind Father's madness. He overdosed on emotions."

"Because of you..."

"NOT me. He thought I was in league with the Queen, when really I was playing spy then. You know that he adored me more than you, and I let him down. Still not the real reason. I'll give you a second to figure it out.."

"No."

"Oh yes. He did go mad before he overdosed on teas. His madness was the Queens answer. You can say there was a method to his madness."

"Father wouldn't have..." He thought his father as a strong man. He wouldn't take suicide as his only option. But now as he thought of his father for the first time in decades, he felt like he didn't really know his father at all.

"There's one thing he forgot about, you. He passed his knowledge down to you. And we need it."

Dee stepped forward with the cattle prod.

"Oh that old thing again..."

"Still the funny man, hilarious. Stop, you'll have me in stitches." Either Dee or Dum said. Probably Dee. He was the one who liked to taunt his patience while Dum was enjoyed the psychical approach.

I'll leave you two to start...working on your patient." March left Hatter's mind.

"Would you allow me to have my fun first Doctor Dee."

"Not at all, go ahead Doctor Dum." He took out a vial from the pocket of his grey-blue jump suit.

Dum grabbed a handful of his hair forcing his head back while Dee forced his mouth open pouring the liquid down his throat.

It was a mixture of ice and fire.

He didn't care. He didn't care about Alice. They had forced him to drink Carlessness. He felt his conscience began to clear itself, his selflessness began to ebb away. "NO!" This was what he was life before, before he met Alice. He couldn't go back to that. He wouldn't. He'd rather die.

He probably protested out loud for he felt an electric shock travel up his body.

"He's resisting." Said Dee or Dum.

"Oh no. Now we can't have that." This was defiantly Dum for what came after. Another shock from the cattle prod.

"He's strong this one. It'll take a lot to break him."

"He always was the strongest." Came March's voice. He was over looking from the truth room's observation room. "Plus you're doing it wrong. You go directly off what they fear, make it reality. Yes, Hatter everyone has something to be afraid of. Even you."

* * *

AN: This chapter is all I have right now. I will update later.


	5. Through the Woods

Alice did not know where she was. She was walking through a think forest. Her soundings did seem familiar to her but perhaps her imagination was getting the better of her.

_Alice in wonderland. _

She suddenly start to recall the story her father used to read to her as a child. It had been her favorite book and she had also enjoyed the movie as a child.

Who do you get to wonderland? Over the hill or under-land or just behind the tree.

Great, now she was reciting things. Did spending too much time in wonderland make someone crazy or was it just her, the the craziness rubbed off on non-wonderlanders.

She scolded herself to stop thinking such nonsense and find Hatter. Did he really feel the same? She didn't know him like she thought she had. But she knew that she wasn't about to give him up and if she didn't know him soon he could get killed or being tortured as she wondered around, carelessly in these woods.

A short distance behind her, someone or something unseen was following her.

She could hear it. At first she thought she was imagining it.

The flowers swayed in the breeze. The sound of the wind blowing through them made it sound like they were laughing.

And...there it was again, the song.

When clouds go rolling by  
They roll away and leave the sky  
Where is the land beyond the eye  
That people cannot see

Where can it be?

Alice turned. Behind her she saw a cat It was like the cat she had seen before. It looked like the cat she had as a child. Dinah.

"Hello." She said to it. "Where did you come from?" She reached out to pet it.

The cat jumped back."I am contaminated." Said a voice. It had come from the cat itself.

It made Alice jump back, "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." But in truth she was the one that was startled.

"May I ask who are you, petty Oyster?" When the cat spoke again she realised that it's mouth wasn't moving.

"I'm Alice."

"My Alice?" The cat seemed to grin.

"Excuse me, I'm not anybodies Alice. Who...what are you?"

"I'm a Cheshire."

"A Cheshire? You look like my cat Dinah."

"I was sent to watch over you."

"By who?" Alice questioned. Who could have possibly. "If you can talk, how come you never said anything?"

"I couldn't communicate in your world."

"Look, I'm not going to ask about that right now, but I need your help.

"Why would I help you?"

"You were my cat once."

Dinah seemed to hesitate before answering. "This someone you're looking for, would he by chance be wearing a hat?"

"Yes! Yes, that's him."

He was with two men in suites. I believe they were heading North."

"You know where Hatter is?"

"Us Chesire's are all knowing."

"It the Queen wants him, he'd in the Castle right?" Alice asked. She needed to get to him, fast.

"No one can get in or out of the castle...unless you're me."

The Cheshire disappeared.

* * *

Hatter tried not to think. If he wasn't thinking of anything, they wouldn't be able to use it against him.

He was reciting poems his father had taught him as a child, but they were only fragments. The only parts he could remember.

_'Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him compl_ain,

"He's just saying nonsense." Dum said.

"But it is something." Dee answered, not taking his eyes off Hatter.

_How doth the little busy bee_  
_Improve each shining hour,_  
_And gather honey all the day_  
_From every opening flower!_

_How skillfully she builds her cell!_  
_How neat she spreads the wax!_  
_And labours hard to store it well_  
_With the sweet food she makes._

"We'll leave this one for now." Dee continued. Their patient wasn't aware that they left until he heard the sound of a door shut.

His binds tying him to the chair seemed to undo themselves.

Hatter thought he was going to loose it for sure if he was locked up with the twins any longer. Whoever had helped freed him. "Thank you, whoever you are." He grabbed his hat from the coat rack outside the truth room, with one swift flick he put on his hat.

* * *

**AN: I appreciate your rewiews, and I would like to hear more. Tonight I'm too tired to continue. I will try to update tomorrow. Keep checking back and thanks again for your rewiews and patience. **


	6. Le Cheshire et Moi

**AN: A few changes have been made to this Chapter. **

Hatter stopped and turned. He had a feeling someone was watching him. He started running and didn't stop till he got to the middle of the forest clearing as something hit him square in the back, knocking him to the ground. He tumbled head over feet, landing on his back. He saw a flash of blue and grey fur. A cat sat on top of him, it's paws on his chest.

The Cheshire cat. "Why if it is wee little Hatter, not so little anymore."

"Ches." He hadn't seen a Cheshire since he was a little boy. Was it the same one? It couldn't be. But the one he had known always teased him. Those who know him would agree is a seamless blend of humor and malice.

* * *

Alice climbed over the clearing. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Hatter!" Alice's face split into the wildest grins and she ran at him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tight. The Doctor did not return the gesture of affection. He looked rather uncomfortable, just standing there, allowing himself to be squeezed, a baffled expression on his face. _Why is she hugging me? I haven't done nothin yet. That feels sort of...good._

She told him that the Cheshire could lead them to the White Queen. "Hatter he could be our only chance."

"We have more of a chance with Charlie." Hatter said.

"What it the chance of finding his again?" Ches asked Alice. "It is a big forest."

" Don't listen to him Alice. Cheshire's can't be trusted."

The Cheshire yawned, "Curiosity killed the cat." He was getting tired of their bantering.

Alice turned to Hatter. "He was my cat Dinah."

Hatter stifled a chuckle. "You have a girls name."

Dinah swiped his paw at the side of Hatter's face as he floated by him. He missed on purpose.

* * *

They had found a secret hatch in the forest floor, covered with leaves. Hatter took a few torches off the brackets on the walls. He handed one to Alice.

"What is a Cheshire exactly." Alice knew it was a fictional cat in the Carol novels.

"Cheshire's are half Kneazel, similar to cats. They have a very high level of intelligence, are independent and occasionally aggressive, and have an uncanny ability to detect suspicious and distrustful people."

"It's all a bit _Harry Potter_."

"Harry, who?" Hatter said.

"It's a series of children books like Lewis Carol's _Alice in Wonderland_."

"Sometimes things cross over to your world by accident or vise versa, ideas, ect."

She stopped, suddenly. "Where were you? Were did they take you? If they did anything to you...I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. And I'm so scared..." She had expected her to comfort her, hug her, tell her it would be okay. Instead he comforted her with words, or at least he tried to. He sounded way too flippant.

"Ok, think of six impossible things, when you're scared." Hatter said. "Me dad always thought of six impossible things before breakfast."

Alice couldn't think of six impossible things. But she could think of...

Alice started whistling the tune to "favorite things." Then started singing it.

"That's a song?" Hatter asked.

"I never heard any of yours but you got some seriously messed up nursery rhymes."

"You can talk. Wolf in your granny's dressing gown."

They continued to walk as Ches led the way.

They found themselves talking about Dodo.

"Why would he still want to kill you?" Alice still thought of going to Jack for help. But he would probably still refuse. Grace. She would help. She said she was her friend. But could she trust the Duchess? It seemed she couldn't trust anyone in wonderland, not even Hatter, who seemed like he was on something.

"I dunno. He always takes things personally." Hatter found himself asking what a Dodo actually was. "I never actually thought about it. What is a Dodo exactly?"

Alice was getting anoynned like she had been with the old Hatter. He was being the old Hatter. What was with him? She answered him to cover up her fustration. "In the Oyster world a Dodo is a flightless extinct bird, it's also a polite way of telling someone they haven't got a clue."

"Good thing he isn't here. I'd probably have difficulty fighting the urge to say that to his face." Hatter's tone was nonchalant. It seemed too relaxed.

What was wrong with him? He was acting rather...odd, like he was when he first met her.

As they moved closer down the tunnel, she examined his face illuminated by the flame of his torch. His features seemed all too perfect. The look on his face, was expressionless.

She couldn't fight the thought in her head any longer. "What's wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me? Wha' you mean?"

"You're like...really chilled out right now..." She saw the confused expression on his face so she used another word. "Too relaxed."

"I'm fine Alice." He did feel fine. He never felt better in his life. He would have been frightened for his life, if he wasn't still hopped up on carelessness.

"No." She put her hand around the wrist of his free hand. "What did they do to you?"

"Really. I dun wan' ye worrin' abou' me. I'm not worth worrin'. You should be worrin about you." He wasn't worth nuthin. He didn't deserve her.

"Tell me what they did to you." This wasn't the Hatter she had come to know at all.

His eyes avoided her._Why did he feel guilty all of a sudden?_Hatter asked himself.

He can never look back. The world behind is simply a gateway to madness. Never look back, never remember, and never think. He can sometimes pretend that it works. All the other times he laughs at himself because he thinks he'll believe it.

* * *

Ches led her to where she needed to go. She had lost Hatter somewhere among the forest.

It was Cheshire that encouraged her on. "There aren't any jaberwoks out 'ere, this part of the woods. You want to find the White Queen or not?"

The Cheshire turned into his cat form, floating through the air, going from midst to solid form. Without warning he pushed Alice though the mirror.

She entered through a mirror. It was a throne room. It was not like the Queen of Heart's. Unlike the Queen of Hearts the room was all white and looked like it was made out of ice. But oddly the atmosphere was warm. The woman she saw sitting in a chair, her back turned apparently looked young. She had white blonde hair, a flawless complexion.

* * *

AN: In my story, of what Cheshire's actually are, they are half cat like creatures. They were brought into exitance from cats accidently wandering through the looking glass and breeding with cat-like creatures.


	7. Under the Influence

Hatter had been running. He was leaning against a tree, panting, his face pale and sweaty. His heart beat fast painfully against his ribs.

He couldn't remember what he had been running from.

The twins had done something to his mind. Maybe the drugs were wearing of or...

_No, Hatter, you're not going mad. Mad people don't question if they're going mad. _

He wasn't.

Something was chashing him. He knew that much.

He rested against a tree, sliding down it until he was sitting on the forest floor. Old memories flooded his mind.

A young dark haired boy, being bullied. His older brother, a blond haired boy, came to put a stop to it. The bully in charge pushed the younger dark haired boy down. Several young boys circled around him, chanting Hatter.

No, this wasn't how this happened.

"Hatter!" Someone called.

"No."

It was Alice who was calling his name, but it wasn't her he was seeing.

"You were asleep. You were having a nightmare." Alice said, trying to calm him.

"No." He shook his head. He hadn't been dreaming. He was remembering. Alice had called him out of the memories. "Where'd you go off to?" He asked.

"To find the White Queen."

"You found the Queen...no Alice, don't tell them. They're inside my head."

"Who?"

"Alice, I've done something..."

"He's being influenced by the Twins." Chess appeared out of nowhere, hovering behind Alice's shoulder. "They're still in his mind, targeting his fears. It seems I pulled him out too soon."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This might take awhile to finish, but I have some ideas. Just got to put them in writing. Any way who I envision play the Cheshire (Rutger Hauer) and the White Queen (Jaime Murray). Young Hatter is (Buster Denman) **

* * *

Chess in his human form, bent down near Hatter.

"Can you do something for him?" Alice asked,

"I can if you stop hovering over me." A little humor since he was always hovering over everyone else.

"Just...please."

"Wonderlanders have a very low level for telepathic frequencies. If I can get in and break the hold those tweeds have on him..."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"I'll be stuck in his mind and we'd both die if it is cut too quickly."

* * *

Hatter's true fear was being alone. As a child he had been alone, though he had been surrounded by friends. His parents were hardly ever around. It was just him and his brother.

So many lonely hours spent. But he had his brother.

Hatter had always been there for March. March, who was bullied. He had to stand up for his older brother. David Hatter, always the strong one. They had each other then. Them and no one else. He wondered how things managed to get screwed up. When the Queen of Hearts came to power March tried playing both sides of the court, like Hatter eventually did. But the Queen had seen through March and had him beheaded.

The day his tea shop had been ransacked, he noticed that it was March right away. Wonderlanders could tell who was family instantly. A built in instinct. March had been dead

All those time he stood up for March, the real March perhaps died a long time ago, seemed so far away. One day the bullying had become so severe. Hatter had to take action.

He was on top of the bully, choking him. He hadn't meant for it to go to far. He remembered how it felt as his fingers dug into the other boys neck, fingertips finding the spaces between tendon and artery.

He had never felt anything like that red-misted rage before in his life. He had hated before, he had feared, many, many times, though he pretended to be brave. For his brother, to survive. The true revelation was the joy he'd felt at that moment.

They kept the boy's death quiet. He had been a kid, just like them. Imagine what that did to a kid, keeping a secret like that with you.

That's when he started feeling the loneliness. What a fool he was for thinking it'd get better. He was alone as a child, as he was growing up it only grew deeper. His brother was the one that was driven mad in the end, like their father.

His whole family was destroyed. What he was left of it he couldn't call family anymore.

Then he met Alice. The bright, shining oyster. He thought he'd found that there was hope from him yet, that she could be his redemption.

* * *

Alice watched impatiently as Chess continued to read Hatter's mind.

"So much anger and rage, fueled by loneliness."

"That's not like Hatter at all."

"A lonely childhood, many friends but very alone. Still lonely now."

"Stop." Alice didn't want to hear anymore. "Just please, stop." Hatter was lonely? She didn't want to believe it. Suddenly she felt guilty. It took her this long to see that Hatter was as damaged as she was. Maybe even worse?

Chess stood up, "We'll have to take him to the White Queen."

* * *

_Somewhere, Underground Fortress. _

_The Queen of Hearts and her royal subjects stood around what posed as a make shift thrown room. _

_"How did you loose him?" She demanded the twins._

_"That Hatter is a slippery fellow." Dee said nervously but it sounded more like an excuse. _

_ "Your Majesty, may I inform you, we still have control over his mind." Dum said. _

_"Then it shouldn't be that hard to find him." The Queens said. "He is the key to restoring me power. __Just don't stand there, you imbociles. Find him. And if you don't have him with-in twenty four hours...It'll be off will your heads." _

_ "Yes, your Majesty." Dum bowed. _

_"Now get out of my sight." _

* * *

"Thanks for bringing her back safely Chess."

"Mistress." Chess slightly bowed. He turned into cat form, then into a faint mist, re-materliazing, perching himself on the Queen's shoulders.

"He's your Cheshire?" Alice asked.

"The very last. I sent him to find Alice, to protect her. Her safety after brining down that house of cards could have been in jeopardy."

"I'm not that Alice. The Alice of legend."

"But he did find the right one." Her eyes went to Hatter. Alice was trying to keep him standing, his arm around her shoulder.

"We need your help."

"Anything for you, my dear." The Queen fixed up a potion, that would severe the connection completely, without any harm.

Hatter was starting to come around.

Alice noticed the way he was looking at the Queen. "Hatter."

"Oh it's an old infatuation spell that never wore off. I was young, desperate." The White Queen apologized. "It is not your Hatter's fault." She stood up from the bed.

"What do I got to do? To defeat the Queen."

The Queen went over to a glass case and pulled out a sword. "You must defeat the Jaborwalk."

"You have got to be kidding."


End file.
